To my dearest client,

You are beautiful. It’s true… I would never lie to you. You just may not be able to see it how I do, … or how your child does… or how your significant other, parent, or friends see it. And for that, I am sorry. Your self-doubt isn’t something I can undo single handedly – it is something that was built over generations and began even before you were born. Together, though, we can capture you and share in your beauty. So listen to those around you, listen to me, and believe us when we tell you you’re beautiful.

I’m not so different, myself. Of course there are qualities and features on my body that I look at most critically. It’s hard to break the mold of the mental conditioning that has been going on for so long. But let’s take a go at it… together.

You are beautiful because you are different. You are beautiful because of the hardships you’ve overcome, because of the achievements you have earned, and because of the life you have lived. You are beautiful because of who you are inwardly… and it reflects on the outside. You are beautiful because you have lived life and are not just passing through.

You see those lines next to your eyes? You earned those through a lifetime of laughter and tears. Would you look younger if I photoshopped them out? Maybe. But you would also look as though you hadn’t laughed or cried as much. You earned those lines. They memorialize some of the most important times in your life – both good and bad.

And those lines on your cheeks. They’re not wrinkles, they’re proof that you’ve loved and have been loved. Those lines represent your relationships and a lifetime of meaningful conversations. Those lines are traces of endless smiles with friends and secrets shared in the night.

The lines on your forehead are from the times you worried about your child and the surprises gift you received from loved ones. These lines were earned through tribulation and celebration. Sure, I can photoshop them out. I can smooth out your skin, and a small part of your past, all with a quick edit.

But I don’t. I am an Indianapolis photographer, but I don’t just photograph people.

I don’t photograph people. 

Is that a strange thing to read from a portrait photographer? It’s not a strange thing for me to say. I sometimes tell new clients this at the beginning of sessions, but they always nod knowingly, like they didn’t need me to tell them. They’ve already seen my work. They already know this about my style of photography.

I photograph memories. I photograph relationships. I photograph emotions. I photograph life. 

But I certainly don’t just photograph people.

So when you look at your images – and you look at yourself – look beyond what you see on the surface. Do you see that image where you’re smiling with every ounce of your being? The one in which you wish you had used the ‘right’ smile? That IS the right smile. It’s the same smile your son has… the one you told him to show his teeth for so that you could capture his spirit in at least one shot. Do you remember that photo of your mother when she was your age – the one you kept tucked in your dresser drawer because you thought she looked so beautiful in it? You look just like her in this image. I can see her in you… and so can your daughter. This is the photo she will keep tucked in her own dresser drawer, right next the one you passed down to her of your own mother.

You are the most beautiful person in all the world to someone. Quiet possibly to more than one someone. And whether you have kids of your own or were a kid yourself at one point, remember that heredity is beautiful. Love yourself as much as others do.

You’re worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqknd1ohhT4

casey and her camera is an Indianapolis Photographer specializing in couple, lifestyle, senior, wedding and family photography for Indianapolis, Indiana and the surrounding areas.